Post by Jesse Morrell on Feb 17, 2009 19:12:33 GMT -5
I just had a great day on campus with Kerrigan, preaching the Gospel and reasoning with sinners.
Here are 15 arguments I used on campus:
1. My argument against Socialism was "thou shalt not steal".
2. My argument for Capitalism is "a worker is worthy of his wages".
3. My argument for God's existence was that finite existences require an infinite cause. Effects cannot be greater than their cause, since we are conscious, intelligent, moral beings, our Cause must be a conscious, intelligent, moral Being.
4. My argument for the reliability of the Bible is the credibility of the witnesses. The Bible is essentially a book of testimony. Any testimony a witness gives in his own favor discredits his testimony. Any testimony a witness gives contrary to his favor or well-being gives credit to his testimony. The authors of the Bible testified to what they saw and heard. Their testimony put their lives and the lives of their loved ones in danger. Many of them were martyred. You could not ask for more credible witnesses, or more reliable testimonies.
5. My argument for God's law or government, or God's right to rule, was our human necessity. We need God's guidance and law in order to have peace, harmony, and well-being. We are finite and therefore are dependent upon the infinite.
6. My argument for God's qualifications for ruling was His moral and natural attributes. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, as well as benevolent, merciful, and just. His moral and natural attributes qualify Him to rule.
7. My argument for hell was governmental necessity. God's law would not be respected or obeyed if God does not enforce His law. God's law is essential to the well-being of the community, therefore God must either execute the penalty of the law upon the wicked or forfeit His law and consequently the well-being of His universe.\
8. My argument for the atonement was the governmental necessity of penalty. If God forgives (sets aside our punishment) He must maintain the authority of His law, securing obedience to His law, throughout His universe. God can only maintain the authority of His law throughout His universe and secure obedience to His law from all His moral subjects, if He either punishes the wicked forever or has a blood atonement which just as equally reveals His regard for His law. The "divine dilemma" of forgiveness and governing are solved by the atonement of Jesus Christ. Now that blood shed has been made, God can remit our penalty when there is repentance and faith, without dishonoring His law or endangering His universe.
I also encountered some Calvinists on campus. They said God was the author of sin, that is, sin was God's revealed will which He has eternally decreed.
9. I argued that if man is a machine which God operates, and God causes us to sin, then God is the only real sinner in all of the universe.
10. I argued that if God's revealed will is that we should not sin, but God's secret will is that we should, then we cannot trust anything God says. If God has a secret will which is contrary to His revealed will, we cannot believe or trust the Bible. God might say that Jesus is the only way, but secretly there might be many ways!
11. They said that God did not want a sinless universe, because then He couldn't show mercy. Therefore God wanted a sinful universe. I argued that if God causes sin just so that He could pardon sin or cure sin, He is like a fire man who starts fires just so He can put them out.
12. I argued that the fact that sin has occurred contrary to God's will proves the free will of man.
13. I argued that a command implies or presupposes ability, or God is unjust and tyrannical. Not only does God command obedience, God is upset and disappointed when men do not obey Him. This also implies free will.
14. I argued that men deserve punishment because they are sinners by choice. Because they deserve punishment, they need an atonement and mercy.
15. I also argued that the very wording of the law shows that it does not exceed our ability, because we are to love "with all thy" and "as thyself". The law is not impossible. We are capable of obeying, but our obedience is incapable of atoning for our sins.
Very good day on campus.
Here are 15 arguments I used on campus:
1. My argument against Socialism was "thou shalt not steal".
2. My argument for Capitalism is "a worker is worthy of his wages".
3. My argument for God's existence was that finite existences require an infinite cause. Effects cannot be greater than their cause, since we are conscious, intelligent, moral beings, our Cause must be a conscious, intelligent, moral Being.
4. My argument for the reliability of the Bible is the credibility of the witnesses. The Bible is essentially a book of testimony. Any testimony a witness gives in his own favor discredits his testimony. Any testimony a witness gives contrary to his favor or well-being gives credit to his testimony. The authors of the Bible testified to what they saw and heard. Their testimony put their lives and the lives of their loved ones in danger. Many of them were martyred. You could not ask for more credible witnesses, or more reliable testimonies.
5. My argument for God's law or government, or God's right to rule, was our human necessity. We need God's guidance and law in order to have peace, harmony, and well-being. We are finite and therefore are dependent upon the infinite.
6. My argument for God's qualifications for ruling was His moral and natural attributes. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, as well as benevolent, merciful, and just. His moral and natural attributes qualify Him to rule.
7. My argument for hell was governmental necessity. God's law would not be respected or obeyed if God does not enforce His law. God's law is essential to the well-being of the community, therefore God must either execute the penalty of the law upon the wicked or forfeit His law and consequently the well-being of His universe.\
8. My argument for the atonement was the governmental necessity of penalty. If God forgives (sets aside our punishment) He must maintain the authority of His law, securing obedience to His law, throughout His universe. God can only maintain the authority of His law throughout His universe and secure obedience to His law from all His moral subjects, if He either punishes the wicked forever or has a blood atonement which just as equally reveals His regard for His law. The "divine dilemma" of forgiveness and governing are solved by the atonement of Jesus Christ. Now that blood shed has been made, God can remit our penalty when there is repentance and faith, without dishonoring His law or endangering His universe.
I also encountered some Calvinists on campus. They said God was the author of sin, that is, sin was God's revealed will which He has eternally decreed.
9. I argued that if man is a machine which God operates, and God causes us to sin, then God is the only real sinner in all of the universe.
10. I argued that if God's revealed will is that we should not sin, but God's secret will is that we should, then we cannot trust anything God says. If God has a secret will which is contrary to His revealed will, we cannot believe or trust the Bible. God might say that Jesus is the only way, but secretly there might be many ways!
11. They said that God did not want a sinless universe, because then He couldn't show mercy. Therefore God wanted a sinful universe. I argued that if God causes sin just so that He could pardon sin or cure sin, He is like a fire man who starts fires just so He can put them out.
12. I argued that the fact that sin has occurred contrary to God's will proves the free will of man.
13. I argued that a command implies or presupposes ability, or God is unjust and tyrannical. Not only does God command obedience, God is upset and disappointed when men do not obey Him. This also implies free will.
14. I argued that men deserve punishment because they are sinners by choice. Because they deserve punishment, they need an atonement and mercy.
15. I also argued that the very wording of the law shows that it does not exceed our ability, because we are to love "with all thy" and "as thyself". The law is not impossible. We are capable of obeying, but our obedience is incapable of atoning for our sins.
Very good day on campus.